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Cisco (News - Alert) and NetApp released the new Cisco Validated Design (CVD) for the FlexPod shared infrastructure and Microsoft (News - Alert) private cloud and it is slated to bring down the infrastructure and application deployment time and help users attain greater utilization of physical and virtual resource pools.

The FlexPod data center solution is a validated, standardized configuration and can be optimized to fit a variety of mixed application workloads and use cases as the customer moves to virtualization and private or public cloud environments. It is built on the Cisco Unified Computing System and Nexus data center switches, NetApp FAS storage components and a range of third-party software.

The FlexPod validated with Microsoft private cloud from Cisco and NetApp is a new offering which brings the benefits of the FlexPod architecture to Microsoft Windows Server and Hyper-V environments with System Center integration. The offering also has the capability to drive business value by utilizing deep-insight into applications and letting customers to orchestrate their IT resources.

Offerings from Microsoft Private Cloud Fast Track combine Microsoft software, consolidated guidance, validated configurations from OEM partners for compute, network, and storage, as well as value-added software components. FlexPod has been validated by Microsoft as part of this program after demonstrating its ability to create a suitable environment required to build a Microsoft private cloud.

Both Cisco and NetApp announced partnership with Avnet Technologies to expand its FlexPod Services and provide U.S. and Canadian customers with validated, pretested data center solution for the cloud.

Cisco asserted that the new solution only reinforces its commitment to delivering a range of data center solutions that offer more choice and flexibility. NetApp added that this partnership is bringing compelling, innovative solutions to market that enable their joint channel partners and customers to build secure private clouds optimized for efficiency, flexibility, and fast time to value.

In other news, cloud backup, recovery and restore (BURR) application provider Asigra Inc. has enhanced its service provider solution with expanded integration for NetApp storage solutions. The enhanced offering, Asigra Cloud Backup version 11.2, is designed to enable end-to-end data protection services and accelerate time-to-market and revenues for service providers entering or expanding their positions in the cloud market.